Chapter 7 InQuizitive: The Legislature

In what way has Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick most significantly differed from his predecessors in the office of lieutenant governor?

party polarization

The ________ was eliminated by _______ in 2015 when Republicans could not collect enough votes to overcome Democratic objections to bills in the Texas Senate.

- two-thirds rule - Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick

Why are members of the Texas legislature hesitant to exercise their power to remove a member of the legislature even if that member is overwhelmingly controversial or associated with scandal?

Legislators do not want to be seen as overriding the will of the voters.

While the ______ is normally a way to save time by fast-tracking noncontroversial bills, legislators may also use it to retaliate for perceived or real slights from other legislators by challenging bills that have been fast-tracked.

local and consent calendar

The _______ members of the Texas legislature meet in regular session for _______ each odd-numbered year. In the 2019 legislative session, they successfully passed _______ of all proposed legislation.

- 181 - 140 calendar days - less than 20 percent

Starting in the ______ legislative session, committee chair appointment decisions became ________ partisan. Lieutenant Governor _______ ended his predecessor's practice of awarding committee chairs to Democrats in ______ proportion to their numbers in the Senate.

- 2015 - more - Patrick - equal

The ______ must recommend any changes to the salary or retirement benefits of the members of the state legislature, which must then be approved by the _______.

- Texas Ethics Commission - voters.

______ Texans are overrepresented in both the House and the Senate. ______ Texans are somewhat underrepresented in the Senate but proportionately represented in the House. _______Texans are underrepresented in both the House and the Senate.

- White - African American - Latino

Which of the following are actions of standing committees in the Texas legislature?

Correct Answer(s): - In the House, they accept bills referred to them by the Speaker. - In the Senate, they accept bills referred to them by the lieutenant governor. - They review, hold hearings on, and amend bills to make them more acceptable to the entire legislature. Incorrect Answer(s): - They ensure that every bill submitted is brought to a vote before the full House or Senate. - They determine the schedule for a bill's debate.

After the 2010 Census, Texas received four additional seats in Congress. After legislative redistricting, three of these seats were won by Republicans and one was won by a Democrat. Using your knowledge of Texas government and the information in the chart, which statement offers an accurate observation about redistricting in Texas in 2011?

Gerrymandering created different political outcomes than the population change would have suggested.

Replace the incorrect terms in the passage with the correct terms that appear in the answer choices.

The Texas Constitution creates a republican form of government with a bicameral legislature made up of officials elected in November of even-numbered years to serve during regular legislative sessions that last for 140 calendar days.

Committee chairs will pigeonhole a bill by never putting it on the committee agenda to be considered.

True

Members of the Texas legislature receive a small annual salary and per diem while the legislature is in session but can receive a generous pension after ten years in office.

True

Analyze the passage to answer the question below it. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence. —Article IV, Section 4, U.S. Constitution In this passage, the term Republican most likely has which of the following meanings?

a system in which individuals are elected to make decisions on behalf of constituents

Match each characteristic of the Texas legislature with its best definition.

composed of two chambers or houses => bicameral occurs every two years => biennial a 30-day legislative session focused on governor's agenda => special session a 140-day period occurring only in odd-numbered years => regular session

If a review of a legislator's record shows that they sponsor over 400 bills during any given legislative session, it may be a sign that the legislator is engaged in what activity to help their chances for re-election?

credit claiming

What is the first step a person can take if they want to begin to have an impact on what state legislators do?

identify who represents them and what they believe

Which of the following is the power of the executive to veto specific provisions of an appropriations bill passed by the legislature?

line-item veto

The governor of Texas can use the veto in various ways to reject acts by the legislature, and different types of vetoes have specific features. Label each description with the type of veto that it best and most closely describes.

rejection of legislation that can be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the legislature => veto used on select portions of omnibus spending bills => line-item veto cannot be overridden by the legislature => post-adjournment veto

By creating a bicameral legislature, what outcome did the framers of the Texas Constitution hope to achieve?

to force compromise between competing ideas